Here's a very nice and super rare vintage 1978 Fender Mustang in original Antigua finish. As if that's not rare enough-this one has a highly figured rosewood fingerboard! The guitar is 100% original and plays and sounds great. It has been professionally set up and is ready to go. Let's get busy.
The Antigua finish is a perfectly medium variety-not too grey and not too yellow. The frosted edge is nice and even and the pickguard has an identical treatment. The finish has some handling evidence but still shines nicely and of course that color is just awesome. The backside is just as clean as the front.
The neck joint is solid and the neck angle is excellent. The neck slot has a couple of inspection stamps as well as Fender Employee's name stamp, and the bottom of the neck has several Fender Employee's initials and another name stamp. The truss rod turns smoothly. The neck itself is smooth and straight. It has a Vintage-C profile and measures .890" deep at the 1st fret and .918" deep at the 12th fret. The nut measures 1.605" wide. The tuners all function smoothly. The headstock and logo display excellent with some light line checking visible in just the right angles. There is some flame in the wood on the headstock and it adds to the whole vintage vibe. The Rosewood fingerboard has a rich contrasting grain that meanders back and forth down the neck. It is very striking-see photos. It is clean and has a nice soft feel. The frets have been professionally leveled, crowned and polished. They have an excellent height and appear near-new condition-see photos. The action is set low for a fast and easy playing experience. The string height is currently .010" at the 1st fret and .045" at the 12th fret. The bridge is fully adjustable if you wish to raise the action. As it is, the guitar plays effortlessly up and down the fingerboard with no dead spots.
The pickups both have a balanced and excellent signal. The neck pickup output measures 5.69 ohms and the bridge pickup measures 5.73 ohms. The switches all function and the volume and tone controls are smooth and quiet. The Mustang has the quintessential Fender 'bell' chime with a warm brilliance that only vintage pickups can deliver. The Pickups have date stamps on the bobbins and the wiring harness is in excellent condition. The potentiometers date to the 49th week of 1978. The bridge and vibrato function as designed. The tremolo arm is included, along with original Fender polishing cloth, Fender strap and original cord. The vintage yellow Fender sign is not included-just for looks. The original Fender hard case is included. It is in nice, clean condition and even retains its original key!
The guitar weighs 9.11 lbs and the compact offset design makes for a guitar that is very fun to play. Although it is a collector's grade instrument-that shouldn't mean that you can't have fun with it. It is perfectly at home in the studio, on stage, or just on your couch in your lap. The different pickup selection positions make for a versatile instrument. An investment piece that you can actually enjoy! It would be a great addition to anyone's collection.
